You Will Make Your Mark
by A Hermione H
Summary: Annabeth was looking forward to meeting her internet friend Percy for college in New York. But the architecture program is six years, and six years can change everything and bring so much to a life. Especially when Annabeth's best friend has too many people to introduce you to in such a short space of time. If only Annabeth had more time. Maybe a lifetime?


**Hi guys! It's just me, AHermioneH, while StormSunfire and I are taking a break from The Merge, as it has just filled our minds which is a nightmare during exam season. So this is something that I've had up my sleeve for a while as once again, we've had no time to write**

 **Also I'm looking for a beta/co-writer for this, as StormSunfire and I already have enough fics that we're co-writing. So, can you contact me via my PM to talk to me about that if you want to.**

 **Don't forget that I'm British and have no clue what the US education system is like (I'm only in the equivalent of high school, let alone thinking about uni).**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own the Percy Jackson Books or intend to make a profit from any fanfictions that I write.**

* * *

Annabeth was going to be sick. She was on a metal tin can in the middle of the air powered by dead dinosaurs; she did not feel safe. She clung onto the armrests out of horror; waiting for the plane's wheels to brush the ground. The only reason she was sitting in this death contraption was because of Percy.

Percy was her best friend, not that she'd ever met him. They'd met online and had hit off, being two mythology nerds trying to kickstart their blogs. It had started off with her posting about how she would totally call Zeus out on his shit and Percy had messaged her in full caps complaining about Zeus as a general.

That single message had led to three years of constant messaging each other, and not just about how they would kinkshame Zeus. They would talk about how school was, TV shows (Annabeth would always be proud of how she managed to get Percy to watch Supernatural and he now runs two Supernatural accounts (Instagram and Tumblr)), and practically anything else they can think of.

Annabeth was shaken back into the here and now by the plane hitting turbulence. She squeezed the armrests even tighter than before, the leather coated plastic squeezing in her vice like grip. The blond guy sitting next to Annabeth eyed her hands in an amused manner. He raised his eyebrows at her. "Don't like flying?"

She shook her head mutely, worried that if she opened her mouth the noises that came out of it would be indistinguishable from real words. She swallowed down whatever the noise was that wanted to escape from her mouth. "Nope."

The guy nodded. "I can't exactly relate," he said, "considering that the entire reason I'm on this plane is because I'm going to study Aeronautics at NYU. So yeah, but my cousins are all deathly afraid of flying."

Annabeth appreciated the attempt at empathy, but it didn't help when he'd just said that he was going to start designing these deathtraps. She decided to choose another point that he'd just said as a starter point for conversation. "You said that you were going to NYU?" She choked on the question. "I'm going to study Architecture there." There's the other reason for being on this metal contraption of doom. Just Percy was the more important reason. She nodded to herself in her head; that was the best reason for coming to New York.

The guy laughed, though Annabeth couldn't really see what was funny, "Well... Then we've made our first friends. Jason Grace." He offered his hand for an awkward handshake.

Annabeth paused for a moment contemplating the guy beside her. She finally clasped the outstretched hand, and flashed a grin at him. "Annabeth Chase." Her face fell again almost as quickly.

The guy, Jason as he had now introduced himself, laughed again, "Look, our names rhyme. When we meet people, we could do a cool introducti-"

"No. Just no." Annabeth deadpanned, sending Jason's smile flying off of his face as quickly as Annabeth would be getting off of this metal death trap. "But I agree to being first friends."

Jason brightened up again. Honestly he was like a Golden Retriever, getting sad at the first negative thing he hears and then getting excited at the next positive thing. He pumped his fist, "Yes! First friend is made!" She laughed at his childish antics, before gripping the armrest again as the plane shook with turbulence.

"Oh, you really have it bad." Jason's eyebrow's creased in concern as Annabeth's breath hitched again. He grabbed the sick bag that was stuffed in the pocket of the seat in front of him and brought it to her lips.

* * *

The plane journey certainly was eventful, Annabeth couldn't deny that. She'd used both her and Jason's sick bags, and then had been rushed to the restroom again by Jason, who herded her into the small cubicle to vomit.

Never had Annabeth been so glad to get out of somewhere.

She smiled weakly at Jason as they waited in the queue at the Passport Check. "Thank you so much. I never could have got through that without you."

Jason grinned at her. "This means that we're friends now though. I can't hold your hair back as you throw up and not be your friend." The queue shuffled along a bit and Jason turned to see how many places were left before he was at the front. Four more people. He changed the conversation. "So where are you staying until campus opens? Because if you haven't noticed you're two weeks earlier than initiation."

Annabeth nodded as they moved again. "I'm staying with a friend, he's going to NYU too. That was one of the main reasons why I chose this specific college. He's studying Marine Biology." An awkward silence settled between them as Annabeth forced yet another smile onto her face. "Where are you staying? Because I'm pretty sure campus doesn't open early for Aeronautics students."

Jason grinned again. "I'm staying with my cousin for the year. He's also studying Marine Biology, like your friend. Act-" He was cut off by the man at the counter calling up the next person, which happened to be Jason. He pulled his passport out of his pocket and made his way to the customs man.

Annabeth tapped her fingers against her leg as she waited for herself to be called. She couldn't deny that she was happy that she had made a friend on the flight, but Jason seemed to underestimate the size of the college. There was no way that they would be able to find each other again that easily, especially if he was living off campus.

She trudged forward as "Next!" was called through the hall of holidaymakers. The guy at desk smiled at her. "Have a good flight?" he said, taking her passport from her outstretched hand. She grimaced on response. The man looked down at the date of birth on her passport. "You here for college?" She nodded again. "Well enjoy the next few years. Try not to get mugged." He handed back the passport, grinning as if proud of his handy 'New Yorker' advice.

They headed onwards to the luggage collection point. The room was crammed with people taking vacations to the 'best city in the world'. There were the classic Japanese tourists loaded with cameras, the confused looking people, who were trying to decipher the signs towards the Arrivals Hall, and of course the college students that were laden down with luggage.

Jason naturally got in their way by tripping as he pulled his massive suitcase off of the carousel. He frowned at where Annabeth was standing above him. "Don't laugh! I left my glasses in here." His eyes caught on Annabeth's much smaller suitcase. "I may be blind at the moment, but even I can see that that is too small for a college student about to spend the next three years of her life here."

"Six," Annabeth interjected. "The architecture programme is six years."

"That means that your suitcase is even more depleted!" Jason started leading them towards the departure hall.

"I'm buying it all with my mum's college savings." At Jason's quizzical look she continues, "She's a big shot politician in Skopje and her priority is my education rather than my not having a mother." Annabeth rolled her eyes as she rolled her suitcase.

They kept on making quips to each other and laughing at each other's bad jokes. Annabeth was starting to feel like she could settle down quite well in New York, especially with Jason and Percy around.

And then they entered the Arrivals Hall.

Annabeth stopped dead in her tracks. "Woah." The architecture was beautiful. There were large arches covering the hall, that was filled to the brim by the seas of tourists.

Jason grinned from behind her and shoved his hands in his pockets. "Actually liking New York now that we're on the ground?"

"Yeah," she said breathlessly. "It's just so big."

Jason pulled out his phone, dialling a number. "I should probably call Aunt Sally."

"Actually I should probably call Percy as well." Annabeth also pulled out her phone. "It was nice meeting you. Don't be a stranger."

"How can I be?" He smirked down at her in a similar manner to that she had when he'd fallen. "I've held your hair back for you. We're friends for life."

And at that Jason wandered off in one direction and Annabeth in the other. She started dialling Percy's all too familiar number. "Hey Percy."

"Hi, where are you? Actually come to me, it will be easier as you probably don't know where anything is." He chuckled lightly. Annabeth tried to suppress the butterflies in her stomach. She failed. "Okay, so go towards the Barnes and Noble." Annabeth started walking towards one of the largest stores in the airport. "Yep, now go towards the miniature Macey's, I know it's ridiculous, there is a Macey's in JFK. Then you see the tacky phone store. We're just there. I can see you."

Annabeth shoved her phone in her pocket as she ran towards Percy and his mum. He pulled her up in his arms as she landed in them not-so-gracefully. "I can't believe you're real," she murmured into his shoulder.

"I can't believe it either. I can't believe you're here and staying until the end of college. It's like I'm dreaming." Percy whispered back. "Now we are going to have the best two weeks of our lives before school starts, okay? I've got us tickets to Comic Con next week and we are going to the aquarium." He let go of her. "But, my cousin is staying with us for the rest of the year so we have to take him to Comic Con with us. Other than that, you are mine for two weeks."

Annabeth turned her attention to Percy's mum who was just hanging up the phone. "He's just coming," Sally said, reassuring Percy. "I can see him now." She started waving frantically in the direction of literally everyone in the entire arrivals terminal. A blond guy emerged from the crowds and hurried towards the three of them wheeling a very familiar (and heavy) suitcase.

"Aunt Sally!" Jason ran into Sally's open arms, accepting the hug. The suitcase skidded to a halt beside Annabeth. "How's life? How's Hannah?" He separated with Sally and went to hug Percy. "How's life, bro?"

"Good, bro." Percy and Jason went in for a fistbump. They missed of course. Percy then pointed at Annabeth."So this is Annabeth, she's staying with us until the semester starts."

Annabeth was left staring at the reunion in shock. Of course, he was Percy's cousin, of course he was.

Jason smiled at her awkwardly. "Hey again. How was the journey from three minutes ago to here?"

"Good, good. It was great." She paused, taking in the situation fully. "So, cousins?"

Percy was left to watch at their reunion with a gaping mouth. Thank goodness, she wasn't the only one that had felt like that. "You guys know each other?"

Jason looked over at her. "Yeah," he said, "We had quite a turbulent journey." He laughed at his own pun. "Annabeth threw up a couple of times," Percy bit back a laugh,"but it was fine. I helped her." He put his arms on his hips in a Superman position.

Annabeth mock glared at him. "You screamed the first time I threw up."

Jason shrugged. "Puke frightens me. So? It's not that weird." He pointedly ignored Annabeth and Percy's judging looks. "Anyway, what I should be asking is how you two know each other. Though Annabeth talking about a Percy should have been a hint, I guess."

Annabeth and Percy exchanged a look - the classic Should We Tell Them, Should We Not Tell Them look. "We're internet friends. We haven't actually met before."

"Cool." Jason smiled up at them. Annabeth wasn't sure whether it was a fake smile of judging-ness or if he was actually pleased for them. "Isn't meeting up with people from the Internet supposed to be like super dangerous though, in case one is like an evil psycho or something?"

Annabeth turned to him again, a face of disgruntlement plastered across her features. "Do I look like an evil psycho?"

Jason shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe you are, I've only known you for a couple of hours."

At that the three of them burst out laughing.

* * *

 **Thanks! Don't forget to review / follow / favourite, as I always love it when people tell me what I can improve on. (I'm all up for a society of brutal, constructive honesty).**

 **Also I'm looking for a co-writer or beta, so if you want to PM me, go ahead**

 **See you all later,**

 **AHermioneH**


End file.
